


Glass that Glistens

by GoldandScarlett



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, is an oc, its pretty much just me continuing the series from james' timeline, just warning you, that main character in fact, there are a lot of oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldandScarlett/pseuds/GoldandScarlett
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All is well and the story is over, but what about when Lavender Patil, the only child of Parvati Patil, foretells something dreadful on the Hogwarts express in one of her mothers crystal balls. How will Lavender and her new friends James and Joana save a still reeling school from a new and only marginally less ferocious attack?</p><p>Harry Potter and His Children Go of to Hogwarts Because I Just Can't Let Go and Move On: A new take on a much over done but still great concept. Enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and as I am not in fact, she, I am legally (and morally) obligated to bequeath her credit. O.C.'s are mine and were not say, stolen from my best friend because I thought they were cool.  
> (Excuse me. I am a GRYFFINDOR! What sort of morals do you think I have?)

                Lavender Patil squeezed her eyes shut as tight as they would go, and hoped desperately that when she opened them again, she would be safely back in her own home, surrounded by the comforting shelves of crystal balls, gently swirling with mist and mystery. Although lately, those globes of crystal hadn't really been so comforting. Sometimes, when Lavender walked past them, she would _see_ things; a train all shining and scarlet, and an ominous and ever pressing darkness, that she couldn't quite place.

                She didn't understand the visions. Her mother saw things in the globes all the time, but they were always somewhat vaguer then what Lavender had seen, and much more dramatic. Lavender had always supposed this was simply an act for the costumer's sake, for she was fairly certain that her mother made most of what she had seen up. In fact, Lavender had rather convinced herself that the crystal balls did nothing at all, until she started to see the train, but, fearing that her mother would think she was merely following in her footsteps, predicting doom and desolation upon everything and everyone, she said nothing of it.

                Still, she dreamed about that train at night, a flash of scarlet being swallowed into darkness, and now, here it was before her, shooting steam into the sky and whistling cheerfully. Lavender tightened her grip on her new wand and wished very much that it would just _go away_.

                Her mother, sensing her trepidation, was attempting to regale her with bits of gossip about the people cluttering the platform around them.

                "Look love, there's Nora Morringson. You remember you met her once?" Lavender's mother had leaned over and was now speaking directly into her daughter's ear in an effort to be heard over the busy chattering filling the air around them.  "She hasn't been into the office for quite some time, you know. I heard she had developed Scrofungulus . I _am_ glad she's all right." Lavender's mother worked in the Department of Mysteries, managing the prophecies (telling peoples' fortunes was more of a side job she'd picked up for fun), a fact with Lavender was most certainly not suppose to know.  "I think her daughter is starting her first year as well. Perhaps you can sit with her on the train." Lavender, who had never really liked Nora Morringson, or her daughter, only nodded dutifully and remained silent.

                "Oh, and _look!_ " her mother continued excitedly, "There's Harry Potter! I danced with him at the Yule Ball once you know. He was an _awful_ date," she reflected.

                This at least, was of marginal interest to Lavender. She tore her gaze away from the fiery red of the train and turned to look where her mother was gesturing.  She had expected Harry Potter to be somewhat taller, and could not help feeling a little betrayed that he had not lived up completey to her imagination.

                Standing next to him was a pretty red haired woman, whom Lavender recollected seeing at a few of the Quidditch games she had gone to. Dancing around them with uncontained exuberance, was a grinning boy with unruly black hair and a grin that seemed to split his face in two.

                "James, calm down," the red haired woman was saying, sounding more amused than exasperated, but James ignored her.

                Regarding the scene with rather less zeal then their brother were two younger children, the youngest of whom looked on the verge of tears.

                "I don't want you to go, James!" she bawled, her hand firmly attached to her brother's shirt.

                "Aww Lily," the boy said, halting his dancing and kneeling before his sister, "It's all right. I'll only be gone 'til Christmas, and I'll write you lots of letters! I'll even send you some chocolate frogs!" he promised.

                His sister frowned a little, mulling this offer over. At last she said, "If you get the Rowena Ravenclaw card, will you send it to me?"

                "'Course," James agreed at once, giving his sister a hug.

                This seemed to pacify the girl, for her sobs dissolved into nothing more than the occasional hiccup, and she released her grip on her brother's shirt.

                The train whistled, making Lavender jump.

                "Oh, that's your cue!" her mother cried. "You've got your owl? Yes? Brilliant!" she began shuffling her unwilling daughter towards the train. "Off you go then! Have fun, love! Write often! I'll miss you!"

                Lavender clamored into a car and, after waving goodbye to her mother, stood uncertainly, surveying the corridor. She supposed she ought to find a compartment, but she wasn't entirely sure where to began.

                "Excuse me!" a tall dark skinned boy called, as he tried to squeeze past her while juggling an owl cage in one hand and one end of a floating trunk, which he was guiding along the corridor, in the other.

                "Oh, sorry!" she cried, stumbling backwards to get out of his way, and crashing straight into James Potter instead. Both their trunks and owl cages went flying, and the corridor was instantly filled with a cacophony of thumping trunks and frantic hooting.

                " Gosh! I'm really sorry!" James said, helping her to gather up her books, which had been thrown from her apparently rather poorly latched trunk. "Didn't see you there. Well, there you go," he said, as he tossed the last rogue book back into Lavender's trunk, where it landed with a satisfying _thud_.

                "Say," he said, pulling open the door of one of the compartments, "this one's empty. You wanna sit with me?"

                "Sure," Lavender agreed, torn between feelings of relief at having finally found a seat, and terror that she was talking to Harry Potter's son. Trying to look less panicked then she felt, she stored her trunk and took the seat opposite him.

                "Hi!" he said brightly.

                "Hi," Lavender replied, somewhat lamely.

                There was an awkward pause as they both searched for something to say. Then, "Your dad's kind of short," Lavender said, in an effort to spark conversation.

                James' eyes went very wide. "Are you calling the chosen one _short_?" he asked, sounding faintly scandalized.

                Lavender instantly regretted her comment and tried desperately to remedy the situation. "Well not exactly _short,_ per say," she amended, "just, not tall."

                James, luckily seemed to have been  pacified by this, for he flashed her an enormous grin. "Well, that's all right then, " he conceded.  "And true enough, I suppose. I'm James Potter." he added as an afterthought.

                "I know," Lavender said, wondering vacantly why her mouth kept persisting upon saying such stupid things. "Um... I'm Lavender Patil."

                "Brilliant!" James said, shaking her hand enthusiastically.  

                The two stared at each other, neither entirely sure what they ought to do next. Then the door of their compartment burst open, and a tall, elegant girl with bright green eyes and wavy chestnut hair appeared in the doorway. She pulled her hair away from her face and grinned at them in a flustered sort of way.

                "Hi," she said awkwardly, "Do you mind if I join you? Everywhere else is full. Well, that's not actually true. Just, everywhere else is full of people who seem to have know each other for years, and frankly, I was a little intimidated-" she cut off,  as though just noticing that she had been babbling.

                "Sure," James said, his eyes growing wide as he stared at the girl, who was now storing her trunk in the overhead luggage space.

                "I'm Joana," the girl said, plopping into her seat and smiling gratefully at them.  She had pulled her owl out of its cage and was stroking it gently. "And this is Faris!" she added brightly, lifting the owl into the air while it hooted in protest.

                Joana was easy to talk to. She kept up a stream of cheerful chatter through most of the train ride, and had them laughing easily. Lavender soon realized that Joana's apparent elegance extended no farther than her looks. She was an awful klutz, constantly dropping her wand or bouncing her owl about (much to its protest), and seemed completely unaware of her own attractiveness. Lavender liked her instantly, and by the time the candy trolley arrived, all three of them were fast friends.

                "Candy from the trolley, dears?" asked an ancient woman, who looked as though she weren't capable of getting out of bed, much less traipsing back and forth along train corridors, selling candy to unruly children.

                " _Oooh!_ What do you have?" Joana asked, excitedly. As the woman rattled of the long list of wizarding candy, Joana's eyes grew wider and wider.

                "May I have a Chocolate Frog?" she asked, and then, sounding rather worried she added, "They aren't _real_ frogs are they?"

                The trolley woman laughed. "Not to worry, dear. They're perfectly frog free. It's just an enchantment. "

                Joana, looking extremely relived, bought a frog and a bottle of pumpkin juice.

                Lavender bought a bag of Fizzing Whizzbees and James, with a mischievous glint in his eye, purchased a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans, and two chocolate frogs.

                Lavender made a face at his purchase. "What are you buying _those_ for?" she asked, gesturing towards the Bertie Bott's. "They're awful!"

                "Because," James said, still grinning wickedly, "I suspect our friend over there is Muggle born, and thus doesn't know too much about wizarding sweets. It's only fair that we enlighten her, don't you think?"

                Lavender laughed in spite of herself.  Joana, who was halfway through opening her frog, looked up suspiciously.                

                "Why?" she demanded, "What's wrong with them? Why do I have to eat them if their awful?"

                "They aren't _all_ awful," James protested, "They're just what the box said, every flavoured- Watch your frog, it's getting away!"

                "It _moves?"_ Joana screeched, as her frog wrestled itself free of its box and made a desperate hop for freedom. She looked positively delighted, and made no move to catch it, but James and Lavender chased after it, and there was a brief flurry of activity in their compartment until Lavender managed to trap the frog  in a corner. She handed it back to Joana, who took it with a thank you and then regarded it critically.

                "I'm not sure if I can eat it now," she said. "It moves."

                "Wu can gwiv it to me den," James offered, around a mouth full of chocolate.

                Joana frowned for a moment, and then took a tentative bite of her frog. Her eyes light up in surprise and she grinned. "It _is_ chocolate!" she cried happily, taking another bite. "Mmmm, isw weally gwud!"

                "Course it's chocolate." James laughed. "No one's going to eat real frogs! So you _are_ a Muggleborn aren't you?"

                "I dow't know whad a Mwuggle wis," Joana said, her mouth still full of chocolate.

                "A non magical person," Lavender supplied helpfully.

                "Oh!" Joana took a tremendous swallow. "Yeah then, I'm that. A Muggleborn."

                "My Grandpa loves Muggles," James confided, "One time he tried to make us breakfast with a uh...what's it called,  a Toazer?"

                "Toaster?" Joana supplied.

                "Yeah that's it! Anyways, he almost burned the house down. He thought you have to light the inside on fire and then put the bread in. Grandma almost had a meltdown. It was hilarious!"

                Lavender winced sympathetically. Joana laughed.  "Just make sure he doesn't stick a fork in it while it's plugged in," she cautioned.

                "Plugged...in?" James asked.

                "Yeah, to an outlet," and then, seeing James' blank expression, "You know what, never mind. I'm sure he'll be fine."

                "Well, Grandma confiscated the toaster anyways," James said.

                Lavender noted that Joana looked faintly relived.

                There was a polite knock on their compartment door, and then it slid open and a girl in sleek black robes and a striped yellow tie stood smiling at them. "So sorry to interrupt," she said warmly, "I just thought I ought to let you know: We're almost there. You might want to change into your school robes."

                The three children thanked her and she smiled again and disappeared down the hall as they struggled to pull their school robes from their trunks without greatly upsetting the rest of their packing.

                "Are you guys excited?" Joana asked, as they pulled on their robes. She was bouncing on her feet with an almost manic energy. Lavender suspected she was nervous and doing her best not to show it.  "Did your parents tell you all about it? Is it huge? Is it beautiful?"

                "It's right there," Lavender replied, pointing out the widow, and looking faintly amused. "See for yourself."

                The three of them clustered around the windows, breathing sighs of awe.

                "Wow," James muttered, sounding shocked, "It's bigger then I imagined it."

                "It's _beautiful_ " Joana breathed, "Like a fairytale castle."

                "A _what?"_ James demanded, but Joana ignored him.

                At last the train pulled to a grinding halt and the narrow corridors became crammed with students once more. Lavender, James, and Joana managed to push their way through the crowd and emerged from the train with the same sort of feeling one might have after surviving a stampede.

                "First years this way!" called a gruff voice stationed somewhere near the edge of a large, glistening lake.  

                "Oh!" James cried, beaming, "It's Hagrid! He said I  might see him! 'Lo Hagrid!" he called, waving feverishly.

                The man who had been shouting for first years halted his calls and came barreling towards them. He was massively tall, and had a face full of extraordinarily bushy hair.  "James!" he said happily, "Thought I might see you didn' I? How'd you like the train then? Good trip was it?"

                "Yeah," James said, still grinning. "It was great!"

                "Well listen," Hagrid started, sounding immensely regretful. , "Can't chat right now, gotta 'elp the first years in, but if you 'ave any free time tomorrow, come  drop by my place. 'Ave some tea. Hut by the edge of the forest. Ye can't miss it."

                "Thanks!" James said, "Uh, so where are we suppose to go then?"

                "Oh right! Yer a first year to, aren't ya. Right this way then."

                The three of them gathered up their trunks and owls once more, and followed the glow of Hagrid's swinging lantern to a long line of dingy looking row boats.

                "In ye get then!" Hagrid instructed cheerfully, "Have a good time!" he called, practically pushing the three of them into a boat. 

                "But sir we havn't any-" Joana started to protest, but then she screeched and fell backwards as the boat took off, gliding smoothly across the shiny waters and towards Hogwarts.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update, and it's only half a year later!

                The wind against their faces was icy and quick, causing Lavender to shiver.  Only Joana seemed impervious to the frigid air. She had overcome her initial terror at a self-propelled vehicle quickly and was now perched at the very bow of the boat, gripping the sides tightly and leaning out as far as she could, like an over exuberant puppy.

                Lavender glowered at her and huddled further into her robe, pointedly ignoring James' amused tittering.

                At last the boat bumped lightly onto Hogwarts grounds and Lavender let out a breath of relief. The frozen children were ushered from their boats, told to abandon their luggage, and shepherded through the great oaken doors, into Hogwarts.

                The entry way was stunning, far more elegant and grandiose then Lavender's mother had told her, and Lavender came to an unconscious halt, staring in silent awe. She trailed her fingers along the rough stone walls, while her left hand curled tightly around her wand, as though anticipating some unknown danger.

                There was something off about the room, Lavender sensed, a sort of creeping chill that she could feel in her very core.  A sour smell permeated the air, and left a strange tangy taste in the back of her throat, like copper and lemons brewed into one. Something terrible had happened here.

                She looked to see if James and Joana had noticed, but they were looking about eagerly, drinking in the hall without heed of its bitter flavour.

                "Good evening, students." A sharp looking witch with thick grey hair had just entered the hall. She was very tall and had the air of someone who took no nonsense from anyone.  Lavender felt oddly comforted by her. "Welcome to Hogwarts," the woman continued. "I am Headmistress McGonagall, and I'm here to help you get acclimated with Hogwarts. A feast shall begin shortly, but before you sit down, we will need to sort you into your respective houses.

                "As I'm sure most of you know, there are four houses here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin.  When you enter the great hall, we shall begin testing to see which house you are most suited for," she paused and smiled at the children, a slightly tight looking smile that Lavender was not completely convinced wasn't rehearsed. "Oh and children, please remember: There is no shame in being a Slytherin. Many fought bravely with us during the battle of Hogwarts, and you would do well to remember that. "

                "What does she mean?" Joana whispered. "About the battle of Hogwarts."

                James winced. "Let's just say our generation isn't called the deathless for nothing. Almost every one of our parents had a friend or family member who died in that war. We're pretty much all named after someone. You muggleborns are lucky. You escaped some pretty bad names."

                Joana looked a little dubious. "I dunno, James," she said. "Mine's pretty bad. James seems nice."

                "My mother had to talk Dad out of naming my sister Hedwig," James retorted.

                "Who’s Hedwig?"

                "My Dad's owl. She was zapped by Death Eaters," James explained seriously.

                "I- What? That's not true!" Although Joana looked a little doubtful of herself.

                James laughed. "Yeah, okay. We're named after his parents. Mum has protested and says that if they have a fourth child, she is naming it. Poor Albus. He got it _really_ bad."

                "Oh that _is_ bad," Joana agreed.

                "No talking please," Headmistress McGonagoll snapped, frowning in their direction.

                "You should hear his middle name," James whispered.

                Headmistress McGonagall's glare intensified. " _Please_ , Mr. Potter."

                "How does she know who you are?" Joana whispered.

                "I have connections," James said, wiggling his eyebrows. 

                Lavender sighed. She hadn't really considered the repercussions of befriending the son of the famous Harry Potter who also happened to enjoy messing with people.  "Guys," she hissed, "I _like_ that teacher. Stop making her angry."

                "Headmistress McGonagall loves me," James promised. "She's not actually going to _do_ anything on my first day."

                "Mr. Potter. I will let you enjoy your feast, but you be joining me in my office directly afterwards. I'm sure you are use to certain privileges, but do not think I will be playing favourites this year. "

                James jumped. "Yes, Headmistress," he said weakly. "Oh, stop," he added in a whisper, as Lavender shot him a smug smirk.

                Just then, a tall man in dark brown robes and tousled dark hair appeared. James looked like he was about to shout something, then noticed Headmistress McGonagall watching him and thought better for it. He settled for waving enthusiastically instead.

                The man whispered something into Headmistress McGonagall's ear and she nodded. "Thank you Professor Longbottom," she said.

                Professor Longbottom grinned and mouthed something to James that looked suspiciously like, " _Look. She calls me 'Professor'"_

"Professor Longbottom," Headmistress McGonagall sighed, but she looked amused.

                "Famous Dad perks," Lavender muttered, trying her best to sound exasperated.

                "You're just jealous," James whispered back.

                "Your Dad's famous?" Joana wondered.

                "Follow me, kids!" Professor Longbottom called cheerily.

                "Ah, I love Neville." James sighed wistfully. 

                "Will someone _please_ explain to me what's going on!?"

                "Sorry, Joana."

                "Yeah you better be."

                And then the doors to the great hall were thrown open and all the children were abruptly silenced.  The hall was large and grandiose, like a Victorian ballroom, with ceilings that sprawled upwards endlessly, and it was impossible to tell where hall ended and sky began. And then Lavender realized that was because the ceiling seemed to reflect the sky outside.

                But the smell was stronger in here, filling Lavender's lungs and making her dizzy.

                "Welcome students, to another fine year at Hogwarts. As all of you have already met me at this point, I will try to keep this short-"

                And then Lavender collapsed and she could remember no more.

                She woke to a dimness filtered with flickering lights, and the faint hum of worried, whispering voices. Lavender shifted herself cautiously, trying to hear what the voices were saying, and found she could move perfectly well. In fact, now that she had left the great hall, nothing seemed to be in the least bit wrong with her.  

                Evidently her shifting had attracted the voices attention, as suddenly, the protective curtain around her bed was flung back, and two woman entered. One was decked out all in healer robes, obviously the nurse. Lavender dismissed her at once at a mystery now solves and thus no longer of any interests. The other woman was considerably more fascinating, her robes a hodge-podge of fabric scraps and feathers, ribbons tied into her hair in a myriad of colours, her glasses large round and purple rimmed. She was peering at Lavender now, through those thick lenses that warped her eyes, making her look remarkably owlish.  

                "Who are you?" Lavender asked, dazedly.

                "Ah! Hello dear. You're awake I see." The woman beamed happily at her, and Lavender was not entirely sure whether this improved her face or not.  "I am Professor Trelawney of the divinations department.  Your mother and-" she paused as though preparing herself to reopen a wound not yet fully healed, "Lavender Brown, where my most promising students. You, my dear, seem to have inherited all their talents and more."

                "What do you mean?" Lavender asked. Her mother, Lavender knew, had never been particularly adept at the art of divination, but she _was_ good at making people think she was. Lavender wondered if it was possible to fool someone who was supposed to be omniscient into believing that you, too, were omniscient.

                "You my dear," Professor Trelawney said, practically bubbling with excitement, "have had a _fortuitous episode_."

                "I'm not sure that's quite the word you're looking for, Sybil dear," the nurse said, gently.

                "Yes well," Professor Trelawney considered, looking slightly uncomfortable now. "You sensed something, in the Great Hall. That's what caused you to black out. Now, I know this may be frightening, but I'd like you to relay everything you felt to me. Can you do that dear?"

                "It was...just a smell," Lavender said lamely, but even as she said it she knew that that was not quite true. There had been a strange feeling in that room, like a graveyard, only she felt certain that almost everyone in there had died in terrific pain. "Like copper and lemons," she continued, "Like death."

                Professor Trelawney nodded gravely. Lavender was beginning to find that she did not like her overly much. "As yes," she said. "You felt death. The death of those who died in the battle of Hogwarts perhaps?"

                "I dunno," Lavender said, although privately she agreed that that was certainly the most likely case.  

                "Sybil dear," the nurse said, keeping her voice tactfully flat, "I must insist that you stop questioning my patient. She has a traumatic experience and she needs _rest_."

                 "Ah yes, of course, Poppy. I shall be in my tower if you wish to speak with me about your experience," she told Lavender, "And I _do_ hope you will. The seeing eye is a rare gift indeed and ought well to be fostered." And with that, Professor Trelawney swept grandly out of the room.

                "Please don't mind her," the nurse told Lavender. "She's just very... _enthusiastic_ about her trade. Doubtless you were just a little tired from your journey is all. I'm Madam Pomfrey by the way, the nurse here as you've doubtless guessed, a smart girl like you. Now, normally I would make you rest here but since it _is_ your first night at school, I doubt that you would take particularly kindly to that. If this happens again though I _will_ see to it that you're here at least the night, understand? So do keep yourself well rested, love. Now, as to your house you should have a visitor coming shortly to get that all straightened out. Ah yes, here she comes now."

                At the sound of approaching footsteps, Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains aside once more to allow a haggard looking Headmistress McGonagall to enter, clutching a scraggly looking mess of fabric in one hand.

                "Hello, Lavender," she said. Her voice was kind, yet brisk. "I'd like you to put this on your head please." and as she handed it to Lavender, the lumpy scraps of fabric were reveled to be in fact, an extremely tattered old hat.

                "Well go on. Don't be shy," the hat said, and Lavender squealed and dropped it.

                "Ah yes, sorry," said the hat. "Normally I sing a song first, so people have the time to get used to me. I could do one for you if you like. "

                "Oh uh, no thank you," said Lavender, who was not sure she could handle a _talking_ hat much less one that sang at her. "I just....put you on then?"

                "Yep," the hat confirmed cheerily. "Pop me right on."

                Lavender did, and suddenly, the hat's voice was no longer echoing jauntily about the sick ward but rather inside Lavender's own head. _Can you read my mind?_ She thought at it.

                The hat filled her head with strange bouncing laughter. "Not really dear," it said, "just the feelings really. I can't read specific thoughts unless you send them directly at me. Don't worry."

                "I wasn't," Lavender protested, but she had to admit the idea of a piece of sentient headgear rooting around in her brain _had_ been rather unnerving.

                "Right then," said the hat, "Let's get you all sorted then shall we. That is my job you know."

                "Alright," Lavender agreed indifferently.

                "Hmmm. You have a lovely mind dear. And relatives in Ravenclaw I suspect."

                "My Aunt," Lavender said.

                "Ah yes, Ms. Padma Patil. Lovely girl. Very bright."

                "But you... you, I sense, are not so like her. It took a great deal of bravery to come here after what you saw."

                "What do you mean after what I saw," Lavender demanded. Suddenly, she was afraid again, and she made as thought to yank the hat off her head, but thought better of it. After all, they would only make her put it on again, and she didn't want to delay the process anymore then she had to.

                "The train, dear. The Hogwarts express in the glass. Yes, that took a great deal of courage. Better be, GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted. The first word it had spoken aloud since it had been places on Lavender's head.

                Lavender yanked the hat off, frowning slightly, but still she was pleased. Her mother would be proud she suspected.

                "Very good then," Headmistress McGonagall said with her same brisk tone, but Lavender thought she detected a faint hint of a smile on her lips. "Let's get you to your dorm then. Would you care for something to eat first?"

                "Yes please," Lavender said, suddenly famished.

                "I'll grab you something," Madam Pomfrey offered, and then she hurried away, and Lavender was left alone with Headmistress McGonagall.

                "Headmistress?" Lavender started tentatively. "I really did.... feel something. In the great hall."

                "I know you did," the headmistress said gently. "Professor Trelawney recommended I listen in on your conversation and while I don't normally favour her advice... but I oughtn't to speak ill of my staff.   I shouldn't worry if I were you. I'm quite sure it was just the shock of such a sudden exposure to everything. I'm sure the more you go in there the less noticeable the feeling will become.  Don't worry, dear," she added with uncharacteristic gentleness. "I suspect very much that you will thrive here. Call it divination." She winked.

                As Lavender laughed, Madam Pomfrey returned with a plate of sandwiches and a goblet brimming with pumpkin juice.  "Here you are then, eat up and I'll call one of your prefects to come show you to your dormitory." She begin to absently straighten the curtains surrounding Lavender's bed before pulling one carefully aside to leave. "Come along, Minerva. Let her rest," she added, with a sharp look in the Headmistress' direction. The two exited together, leaving Lavender alone with a plate of sandwiches and the nagging feeling that she had certainly missed something.     


End file.
